Garden of Inflorescence
by Maripockii-chan
Summary: RivaEre/ Male!Mikasa x Eren Victorian Era AU- Eren Jaeger, son of a wealthy doctor and medical researcher is arranged to marry Mikato Ackerman in order to save the two families business. After an encounter with a strange man named Levi in his garden, Eren becomes more reluctant to go on with the proposal and pursue his romantic affair with the mysterious man. I don't own the charas
1. Red Roses and A Raven

**Notes: Hey everyone! I'm back with a new chapter fic AU. This is my first AU with a series to it, so I would really love to have some feedback. This fic contains some future Non-Con just to warn you. It also includes genderbent!Mikasa whose name I changed to Mikato; (I was planning on leaving it as Mikasa but when I read it over, it was just one huge nope + Mikato is the fandom's name for male!Mikasa.) Please feel free to comment and share. This story will also be posted on Archive of Our Own and on my Tumblr under the same username. Enjoy! More SNK AU fics in the future since summer is here~**

**Mikato = Mikasa**

The branches in the trees swayed gently in the wind like a slow and elegant waltz. The morning sun began to rise, it's rays of sunlight hitting the earth; the last of the darkness of the night tuning into shadows. A beam of sunlight hit one of the windows of the Jaeger mansion, shining the inside of the room where Eren was sleeping in his soft, canopy bed. He was in a deep slumber, a soft and serene sleeping expression on his face until the sound of the bedroom curtains were pulled open with a _whoosh!_ Eren's face scrunched up as the sunlight hit his face and buried his face in his soft white pillow.

"Wake up Eren…." Armin said cheerfully. "It's time for breakfast… you've got a busy day today…."

"Ngh… can't you cancel it all? Let me just sleep in today.." Eren groaned, slamming the pillow down on his head.

"Oh Eren… I wish I could, but your father is here today… he has someone very important from the Ackerman family with him and it involves you in a meeting this morning."

Eren sighed, then removed the pillow from his face. "..Is it Mikato? Only Mikato would convince my father to make me think the situation is life or death just so he could see me."

Armin stayed silent for a brief moment before finally answering. "Well, I can't say for sure what it is about… but I know it involves you and Mikato. That's all I know.."

That was enough for Eren to hear. He sat up on the edge of his bed after receiving another scolding from Armin and watched him as laid out Eren's clothing for the day. When Armin finally helped Eren out of his night clothes and into his daywear, he stood him in front of the mirror and smoothed out any wrinkles in Eren's emerald colored coat, the contrast bringing out the green in his eyes.

Eren and Armin had been friends ever since they were little. They both remember the day Armin was brought to the Jaeger mansion. The Arlert family has always served the Jaegers. Armin's parents were researchers, collaborating with Eren's father, Grisha in creating new cures for a recent disease that was going around. Since finding new resources were necessary in order to get information, the Arlerts had to go overseas. Armin was far too young to come with them and couldn't care himself yet, so they agreed with Grisha to allow him to stay in the mansion and become Eren's friend and servant. Armin was scared at first, being in an unknown place without knowing anyone. But after Eren gave him a smile and invited him to play in the garden after their introduction, he knew he would have a warm stay. Every now and then, Armin would receive a letter from his parents along with a little gift from the country they were visiting, describing the beautiful area they were in and how much they missed and loved him and how they would be back soon. For Armin's 9th birthday, his parents sent him a book that belonged to his grandfather. The ancient book was filled with details of the earth and what treasures lied within. Flaming water, lands of ice, fields of grass, the list went on and on. Armin and Eren would sit together underneath the trees in the mansion's garden and just read and get excited over the details. What they really vowed most to see, was the ocean. The beauty and wonders that was described just caused an undying desire to discover the world themselves.

Armin fixed the ribbon around Eren's collar and made any final adjustments to his outfit. "That should do it! Now let's get going…"

Eren took one final look in the mirror at himself and sighed. He may have been dressed like the young lord he was, but he certainly didn't feel like it. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair and followed Armin out of his room and into the courtyard where breakfast was being served to his father and their family friend, Lord Ackerman.

"Ah, there he is… Eren, glad you're here. We have much to discuss." Grisha stood up along with Lord Ackerman. Eren bowed politely and smiled small at them.

"Good morning father, Lord Ackerman…. Sorry I'm a little late."

"You're right on time, Eren. We were actually just discussing your father's recent development. It's nice to see you again, Armin.."

Armin bowed and smiled back. "Hello Lord Ackerman."

"Please sit Eren… Mikato is on his way."

Eren took a seat across from them at the small round table, Armin standing by his side with a cloth hanging on his arm in front him.

"As I was saying, We've been able to create a vaccine, but we must dilute it first. The Arlerts have been testing out different substances, but they haven't found anything strong enough yet."

"Oh I see. Well- Ah! Here comes Mikato!"

Mikato came riding down on his horse, pulling on the reins slightly to halt the horse. Once it came to a complete stop, he climbed off and tugged the horse gently towards the others. Mikato's chin length dark hair flowed slightly in the light breeze, his navy blue riding uniform stretched across his body, showing off the defined muscles underneath.

"Good morning Dr. Jaeger, Eren.." Mikato's dark brown eyes brightened like they always did when he saw Eren.

"Morning Mikato, how was the hunt?" Eren asked with a smile.

"I caught five rabbits and nearly sliced the flesh of the man who said I was a weak boy. I never seen such a man cry on the floor and beg for his life.." Mikato smiled small in triumph. Eren knew too well if you dared to lower Mikato less than what he was, it would be a death sentence. After all, cutting flesh was his specialty.

"That's my son alright.." Lord Ackerman laughed and patted Mikato's shoulder. "Well since the two of them are here, I suppose we can share the news with them."

"Here Armin, take the horse." Mikato handed the reins to Armin. He tugged the horse lightly and walked him over to the stables, mouthing _"Let me know what happens_." to the young men.

"Bye Jean, see you later…" Eren snorted at his own joke.

"Eren. The Kirschstein boy isn't a horse… I thought you two settled the dispute already." Grisha sighed and shook his head. Eren rolled his eyes and slumped in his seat, his chin resting on the palm of his hand. Mikato took a seat next to Eren, occasionally glancing over at him to gaze at his beauty.

Lord Ackerman cleared his throat. "Well I… don't know how to start this…. It's going to be harder than I thought. Not that this was an easy explanation in the first place, but I didn't think it would have to come to this…."

Eren looked at him in puzzlement. "What do you mean, Lord Ackerman?"

"Eren, Mikato…" Grisha began, slightly hesitating before continuing. "I trust both of you know that our families do business together."

"Of course we do…. How can we forget?" An unsettling sensation began to boil in Eren's lower abdomen.

"... Well, recently we've had trouble with one of our supposed trusted accountant, Kenny Ackerman. He was stealing from the company and forging fake reports. We happened catch him on time before we were truly in trouble, but unfortunately for us, the bankers refuse to believe that we are capable of doing business together."

"They cut off our assets for the time being. Our business is in jeopardy and at this point, we won't be able to get the vaccine to be properly made for the people. The only way to convince the bank that we are indeed capable of working together and that no grudge is held against our two families..."

"... Is through matrimony." Lord Ackerman finished despite his discomfort.

Eren stared at the two of them in confusion. There was something off about the whole thing, but he knew more was to come. "B.. But our families don't have any females to wed yet- and those who are, they're either married or way too young for marriage!"

"That's where you two step in..." Grisha looked at them intensely, his eyes shadowed from view. "... You two are arranged to be married in a month."

If you were to tell Eren Jaeger that he would be marrying a man, he would have laughed it off in discomfort and take it as a joke. Eren couldn't see himself marrying anyone just yet, let alone a man, _Let alone Mikato_. In fact, Mikato was more of an elder brother figure to Eren. He'd known the well built man for as long as he had known Armin. It all began when Mikato was only nine and still had yet to build his strong, masculine features that he had today. He happened to be strolling among the forest near his estate when a group of perverts mistaken him for a young female and drugged him, tied him up and disappear into the forest in a small abandoned shack. That same day, Grisha and Eren paid a visit to the Ackerman mansion where the maids where searching for young Mikato like crazy. Eren couldn't just stand there while someone innocent who was his age just disappear into thin air. He grabbed a pocket knife and searched into the forest until he found a small abandoned shack where his soon to be friend was being held. It took great willpower to bring down the three men, but with the new found energy in Mikato, the two of them ended the people they called monsters in disguise. Ever since then, Mikato made a vow to protect Eren and save him from harms way. Even as they reached the age of 18, Mikato checked in with Eren every single day since he was so susceptible to getting himself in trouble. Even if Mikato's actions annoyed and suffocated Eren sometimes, he still loved him like family.

No, he couldn't marry Mikato. It was just too unlikely to see himself bound to him in that way. And yet- here they were, their fathers discussing how they were to become engaged by force to fix a ridiculous problem. (granted, the cause was very important)

"W.. What?" was the only thing that could leave Eren's mouth despite the outbursts that were slowly building up within in him when he saw the two men has no intention of laughing. "T... This is a joke? Right? It's meant to be funny.. H- Ha ha ha... Good one father..."

Lord Ackerman and Grisha didn't as much smile. They looked just as pained as Eren was. Mikato seemed unaffected. He sat there with a straight face as if he knew sooner or later it would happen.

"For fucks sake, dad! Say something!" Eren banged a fist on the table, the delicate china clattering against the silverware.

"Eren! Watch your mouth in front of your family!" Grisha scolded. Eren's heart dropped, all hope of it being nothing but a cruel joke fading away.

"H... How? How will this be normal to others? Does the bank even approve of this-?!"

"It's not at all bizarre, Eren." Lord Ackerman tried to smile. "The queen, Historia Reiss is married to the leading knight, Ymir. So if the queen herself if fine with it, so is everyone else..." He slightly laughed, trying to bring humor into the conversation. "Although I must say, that Ymir of the royal highness does mistake for a man..."

"I can't believe this..." The look of surprise and slight fear never left Eren's face. "There was so much I wanted to do... Before I had to..."

"Eren..." Mikato's calm, monotone voice broke Eren's train of thoughts as he stood up and kneeled on one knee before Eren and held his hand within his strong ones; staring into his vibrant gem-like eyes. "I promise you... A life of happiness and security with me. I won't let harm come to you or let anything or anyone hurt you. I will vow on this day to make you happy, even if it costs me my very life." He placed a gentle, loving kiss on Eren's hand, causing the boy to blush and cover his mouth with his free hand.

Lord Ackerman smiled. "See? You two will be just fine together. It will be as if nothing had changed. You two will still be close friends."

"But... I don't know if I'm ready to marry yet! Father! You're okay with this?!"

"Eren... Trust me when I say, this wasn't our first choice. We really thought it out, we tried proposing other ideas to the bank, but it simply wasn't enough." When he saw that Eren still remained stubborn, he sighed. "Think about what your mother would want. She would want you to do the right thing. Right now, people who are in dire need of this vaccine are dying. I know it is a lot to ask, but this truly is life or death."

The thought of his mother was too overbearing. Eren was being selfish, thinking about his comfort rather than the lives of others.

All Eren could do was submit to the proposal.

"Ehhh? Y.. you're going to marry Mikato?!" Armin asked as he walked down the outside corridor with Eren.

"Armin, I had no choice. I wanted to say no, I really did and it's not because I don't love Mikato, it's because I just can't."

Armin gazed at Eren for a while before turning his head away. "Do you love Mikato?"

"I love him the same way I love you Armin, like a brother. I'm just… so angry that my father had pushed this on me. I get it that people are dying and my dad's work is extremely important but was this really a way to go?"

"Then why did you accept?"

Eren stopped walking and looked down at his feet. "... I had to do my part. Did I also mention my father used my mother as persuasion?"

"What? That's not like him to just say that. You said he hasn't said a word about your mother in almost nine years."

"Well this reason must have been that important because he brought her up suddenly after almost reaching a decade."

Armin tried to give a warm smile. "Hey, everything will be okay… I mean, it's not going to be much a difference. We'll still see each other, right?"

Eren smiled back. "Of course. The wedding is in a month, so we'll have plenty of time before hand to spend our last moments together. I'm probably going to have to live with Mikato so I won't be too far away. I'll visit everyday, in fact, maybe I can convince my father to let you come with me."

"You think so?" Armin's sky blue eyes brightened in excitement. Eren chuckled.

"It's a promise. Maybe afterward, we can see the ocean like we said we would."

"All right then!" Armin nodded happily. "It's a deal."

"You bet it is." Eren turned his head to the side where the lavish garden was glowing in the morning sun. "Say Armin… I'm going to go take a walk. I need sometime to think."

"Ah, sure thing. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No I'll be fine. I'll meet up with you later, okay?"

With that, Armin agreed and made his way back into the mansion to do other things. Eren stood alone for a while until he moved and walked down the gravel path into the garden.

It had been years since he last came into the garden. Eren stopped coming back after his mother died from a grave illness. He just couldn't handle not being able to sit with her underneath a tree anymore. The memories of their time together were fading away every single day and Eren wasn't sure if he wanted to keep them alive or just let go of it all. Walking down the path, he wondered why he stopped coming to visit in the first place. The garden was well maintained, not a single weed or trash in sight. Whoever was in charge of taking care of the garden must have been very passionate about it. The roses were fully bloomed, the petals fully opened to flaunt their vibrant hue. Eren couldn't help himself from smiling and bending over slightly to gently touch the flower and sniff it's sweet, floral scent.

"Oi! Your hands better be clean!" A distance voice scolded. Eren snapped his head back up, directing his attention to the sound of the voice.

Walking into view, a slightly short, yet very toned and muscular man with raven hair and an undercut made his way towards Eren. His white shirt open at just the first three buttons, showing off his strong collar bones. The man's eyebrows were furrowed, his coal grey eyes staring right into the younger man's. He looked highly intimidating, though something about him made Eren swallow.

"I.. I'm sorry… they are clean. I just-"

The raven haired man made an agitated noise and grabbed Eren's fingers, causing him to slightly yelp and blush faintly. The man inspected them closely and when he saw Eren was true to his word, he let go and brushed his hand off on a white handkerchief hanging by the side of his waist.

"_Tch_, you're lucky this time, brat. Or else I would have buried you underneath that very rose bush you were sniffing."

"U.. um.." Eren stuttered, looking down at his hands to avoid showing the blush on his cheeks. "Are you… the gardener?"

"No, I'm serial killer who happened to break into your garden and steal all of your hydrangea and sell it to the black market." When Eren didn't get the joke, the man rolled his eyes. "I'm being sarcastic, little shit. Of course I'm the gardener, I've been working here for at least seven years. "

"O.. oh.." Eren managed to laugh awkwardly before raising one eyebrow. "H.. hey!"

The gardener ignored him. "..And who are you exactly?"

"I live here… I'm Eren Jaeger." The boy eyed the older man closely. "What's your name?"

".. Levi." The said man ran his long, skinny fingers through his bangs that were moist with sweat.

"It's nice to meet you. Sorry about earlier… I didn't mean to ruin your work. It really is beautiful.." Eren turned his head towards the fully bloomed red rose. Levi looked at him for a while then sighed. With a pair of small shears that he extracted from his pocket, Levi held the stem of the rose with two fingers and cut it off with his other hand. He carefully pulled the rose out and held it out towards Eren.

"W.. what?" Eren looked highly confused, turning his head from side to side as if the man were offering it to someone else who wasn't there.

"Take it. You already touched it, you can have it. Besides, take it as an apology for yelling at you earlier.."

A faint hint of red came to Eren's face as he graciously accepted the flower with both hands. "T.. thank you, really. I'll take care of it." A bright smile came to his face. Levi cleared his throat.

"Well I can't stay and chat all day, there's work to be done." He turned around and walked away, only to stop when he was a feet away and turn his head slightly with a small smirk. "But I'll see you around. You're the brat of the mansion, right?"

Without another word, Levi walked back into the maze of the garden, leaving Eren to stand there as he gazed at the red beauty in his hands.


	2. Masked Flower

**Notes: Hey~ I just want to say thanks for the support so far on the story and I hope you keep on liking it. I also forgot to mention this fic contains some spoilers from the latest chapters of the manga, so my apologies for those who read without knowing that x,D I also meant to post this chapter yesterday but I got carried away x,D**

**Reminder: Mikato = Mikasa**

"_Well I can't stay and chat all day, there's work to be done." Levi turned around and walked away, only to stop when he was a feet away and turn his head slightly with a small smirk. "But I'll see you around. You're the brat of the mansion, right?" _

Those final words echoed through Eren's head as he rested his head on his desk, staring at the blooming red rose he had placed in a cream porcelain vase. The thoughts of the mysterious man named Levi still lingered in his head. Why was it that Eren had never seen him before? It was obvious that he hadn't been to the garden for nearly nine years, so it's possible somewhere along the way, Eren's father hired a new gardener. Something about Levi made a shiver run down Eren's back in the most chilling way. He wondered if Levi was married or had a fiancee. The man was very handsome and well kept, he must have had someone in his life. Hoping to find out more about the dark eyed man, Eren told himself he would return to the garden around the same time the next day to see if Levi was still there.

A knock at the door interrupted Eren's daydreaming. Armin opened the door a crack and peeked his head in. "Eren, Dr. Zoe is here. It's time for your lesson."

"Ah! I'll be right there!" Eren lifted his head up and scrambled out of his seat, following Armin into the study room.

"... And that, my dear Eren- is how sexual reproduction is made!" Hanji's hand slammed against the green chalkboard where her small doodles and incomprehensible notes were written. A maniacal gleam shone in her glasses as she grinned, proud of her explanation. Eren, on the other hand sat at his desk, pen frozen in his fingers as he tried to register the blob of information that Hanji had just thrown at him.

"Any questions, Eren?" Hanji rested her hand on her hip, looking over at Eren with a smile.

"U.. um… Could you repeat-"

"Excellent! Now, let's go over all of that information with a small quiz." Hanji erased her writing and wrote new notes that were even more difficult to read. Eren sighed and flipped his paper over to make room for whatever notes he could get down. He always had a hard time understanding Hanji's lessons due to her eccentric and excitement over her own teachings, but today proved to be even harder. Eren's mind kept wandering off and he somehow found himself having to look out the window as if he would catch a glimpse of his raven haired gardener. Hanji seemed to notice something was off with Eren because she put down her chalk and gave a concerned look.

"Eren? Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Eren turned his head back to her, his eyes widened slightly. "Oh… Y.. yes. I'm just… a little tired today."

Hanji rubbed her chin, humming softly then came closer, causing the boy to lean back in his seat. "No you're not… something's wrong. I can tell by the way your ears turn red."

Eren blushed and placed his hands over his earlobes. "T.. they're not red! I.. I just… have a lot on my mind this morning…" Eren removed his hands and looked down at them. "... I'm engaged-"

"Whaaaa-?! That's great! Why didn't you say so earlier? We should celebrate!" Hanji clenched her fists in happiness and smiled big.

"N.. no, it's not that great…. I'm engaged to Mikato. As strange as that sounds, it's because our families business will go under if we can't prove to the bank that the fraud that went on was our doing."

"Engaged to young Lord Mikato huh?" Hanji crossed her arms and thought for a while. "Hey, that's not too bad. You two are close friends, at least you're not being forced to marry a greasy, fat old man. Besides, people won't say anything, Your Royal Highness herself is married to a female." She smiled, hoping to brighten Eren's mood. It didn't work.

"I know I should be grateful, and I really am- but I just don't feel like I can go on with this. Something's holding me back."

Hanji stayed silent until she slammed her hands on Eren's desk, making the boy jump in his seat. She leaned in close, a crazy glint in her eyes.

"You're in love with someone else, aren't you!?"

"What!? N.. no! What are you-"

"Who is it? Tell Mama Hanji…"

"M.. Mama Hanji-?!"

"Ooooh! What a scandal! A love triangle! You're forced to marry your childhood friend, but you just found your one and only soul mate!"

"I didn't find my soul mate!" Eren blushed madly and looked away, his eyebrows furrowed. "I.. I just met someone, okay? I don't even know them that well."

"Well, you never know. That might turn into something more." Hanji chuckled and pinched Eren's cheek. "Hey, cheer up. You'll be alright, it's just marriage. It's not as bad as it seems. I remember when I first got married to Moblit, I was a bit nervous. But in the end, I'm glad I grabbed the chance before someone else took him." Suddenly, a dark shadow casted over Hanji's face, a crooked smile formed as she tightly gripped her pencil, breaking it into pieces.

"_**Because if anyone took my dear Moblit before I did, I would turn them into finely stewed hunks of meat and feed them to their family…"**_

Eren shuddered at her sudden personality flip. It didn't seem as funny as it sounded whenever Hanji went from the happy-go-lucky person she was to a psychopathic-like killer.

"Well, it looks like our time is up!" Hanji smiled joyfully as if nothing were wrong and grabbed her bag. "Now you listen to me, Eren Jaeger. You do what your heart tells you to do. To hell with the world. You're a precious baby boy who deserves anything he wants in the world." She winked at him and ruffled his messy hair.

"Y.. Yes ma'am." Eren let out a small laugh. Despite the tiny fear he had of her, Hanji truly was someone Eren could trust in.

After Hanji's lesson ended, Eren was summoned to his father's office. He stood before the desk as Grisha flipped through some papers.

"Eren, I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow night's masked ball. Very important people are attending and it is imperative that you behave well and dress your best."

"I understand." Eren said with a hint of melancholy in his voice.

"Mikato and his parents will also be attending. So I expect you show them respect at all times."

An awkward silence formed between them until Grisha finally spoke up. "Eren… I know I brought up your mother this morning…."

Eren looked up at his father, his interested peaked.

".. and I just wanted to tell you- I didn't just say it to get you to say yes. Before your mother died, she told me to continue to save other people and protect you. I felt the need to tell you that her death should not be in vain. Mikato can protect you like he always did and we can save people at the same time. This is for the best."

Eren didn't feel that way. His mother's death should not have been in vain, true- but it also should not have been used for something that was small to Eren. With a nod, Eren agreed and excused himself from his father's office to retreat to his room where he planned to spend the rest of the day if he could.

The next morning, Eren woke up bright and early before Armin could wake him and dressed up in his simple off-white shirt and brown trousers . He sneaked silently and quickly out of his room, down the big empty halls, and into the garden where the sun had began to rise into the sky. Eren walked down a single path, looking out for Levi and as well for anyone who might spot him and return him to his room. Just when he was about to give up and turn back, Eren heard the sound of dirt being shoveled and faint grunting. He turned a left and found himself looking at bare, pale back muscles in motion. As if already expecting him, Levi turned around and stopped shoveling, wiping away the sweat that had formed on his forehead with a towel.

"I knew you would show up, brat.." Levi slightly smirked and stuck the shovel hard into the ground and leaned against it.

"I… I brought you water…" Eren held out the sack of cool water out to the man. Levi blinked, then took the sack, his fingers brushing against Eren's for a brief moment.

"Hn…. Thanks, brat."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Eren glared a little.

"Because you are one.." Levi took a sip of the cool refreshment, then poured it over his head, the liquid running down his deeply toned muscles. Eren had to look away to avoid making his blush visible. Up close, Levi was just as toned as Mikato was and if not, perhaps even just a little more. Perfectly sculpted abs and strong arms glistened with sweat and water as the first ray of sunlight hit his body.

"U… um.. I wanted to invite you to the masked ball tonight." What was Eren doing? The ball was strictly for prominent people only. Levi was a gardener, not that Eren cared what he was. But what would his father think? What was he planning to do with Levi once he was at the ball? He couldn't dance with him in front of everyone. If Grisha recognized Levi at the ball, then both of them would get in trouble. If Mikato saw Eren dancing or as much talking with anyone else other than Armin, hell would surely rise from the marble floors. It was a huge risk, but Eren was willing to give it all up.

"Hm? You want me to go to the masked ball tonight?" Levi's eyes widened for a second but returned to their natural narrow shape.

"W.. Well I'm not just asking you.." Great, now Eren was lying. "I wanted to thank you for taking care of the garden. You see, I used to come here a lot when I was younger, but I stopped coming after a while. Even though hardly anyone comes in here, I'm really glad it hasn't been neglected" Eren managed to smile. Levi sighed and pushed his slick hair off his forehead.

"And you're sure this is fine with your father?"

"Who cares? After all, it is a masked ball." Eren gave a cheeky smile. In return, Levi chuckled softly.

"I'll see. Well, I'll think about it."

Eren's heart leaped in his chest. _Oh God… Levi may come to the event_. It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. Exciting because he would finally get a chance to spend time with this man and get to really know him. Terrifying because of what others might think.

People didn't matter. What mattered was Hanji's words. Eren did deserve what he wanted, and this was the perfect time to put it to use.

"I hope I see you tonight.." Eren smiled. Levi came close to him and ruffled his hair softly, causing the younger boy to blush.

"EREN? WHERE ARE YOU?" Armin's voice shouted not too far away. The blonde pushed his way through a rhododendrons bush, leaves and petals sticking to his hair and mouth as he spit them out. He froze when he saw Eren standing with Levi's hand still on his head.

"Armin…." Eren's eyes widened, trying to find an excuse. "It.. it's not what it looks like…"

"Eren, where were you? I thought you got kidnapped from right out of your bed!" Armin plucked off any remaining petals off of his shirt. He glanced up at Levi then looked back at Eren.

"Who's this?"

"U.. uh… Armin, this is Levi the gardener. Levi, this is Armin my friend…"

"Right… It's nice to meet you. Eren, we have to head back before your father finds us here."

"Y.. Yea…" Eren let Levi withdraw his hand from his head before waving goodbye and walking back to the mansion with Armin. Once they were a safe distance away, Armin began to talk.

"What were you doing?"

"I woke up early and I couldn't go to back to sleep so I took a walk."

"... and what were you doing talking to that man? He looked like a serial killer or something! You sure he was the gardener and not burying some random body that he killed?"

"Armin!" Eren scolded.

"What? It sure looked like it. While you were calmly being charmed away by him… How old is he anyways? Way too old for you."

"Don't be ridiculous.. I just met him yesterday. I just… happened to pass by him while I was walking."

"Liar, your ears are red."

Eren covered his ear lobes and groaned.

"Eren, is there something you want to tell me?

"What do you mean? I'm not hiding anything from you…"

"Eren.."

"Okay fine!" Eren removed his hands, revealing his tinted ears. "I… I couldn't get him off my mind. I had this urge to see him again. S.. so I… kinda invited him to tonight's ball."

"You what? Eren! What are you planning to do there with him?"

"Nothing! I just wanted to thank him for taking care of the garden. You know how hard it was for me to go back after…" Eren shut his eyes and turned away.

"... I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault."

Armin sighed, then placed his hand on Eren's shoulder. "I get it.. but please don't forget- you're engaged to Mikato."

Eren looked up at the morning sky, the wind swaying through his hair. ".. Yea, I know."

By the time it was 9 pm, Eren was well dressed and ready to attend the party downstairs. Armin had picked out a white long sleeved button up shirt with a light green ribbon wrapped around the collar. He wore white slacks with knee high brown boots and a light blue coat over his shirt. White gloves and a brooch completed the look. In the mirror, Eren looked innocent and handsome like the boy he was. Armin nodded in approval, smiling softly.

"I think you look wonderful. You'll really catch everyone's eye tonight."

_I don't want to catch anyone's attention, just one single person.._ Eren thought to himself. He smiled at Armin and patted his shoulder. "Thank you Armin. It means alot to me." Eren fixed his ribbon. "H.. hey listen, you won't tell anyone about this morning, right?"

"No, of course not. I just don't want to see you get in trouble over something not worth it."

"I won't, but you especially won't tell Mikato or my dad?"

"Especially not them." Armin reassured.

Eren smiled in relief as Armin held out the white mask with teal designs on it and fastened it around Eren's eyes.

Once Armin had his mask on, the two made their way down the stairs where a crowd of people were gathered, dancing and enjoying themselves. Eren scanned the crowd, trying to search for one person in particular, but couldn't seem to find them within the midst of people.

"Eren! Come here." Grisha called him over where he was talking to Lord Ackerman and his wife, Mikato's mother.

"Good evening Lord and Lady Ackerman." Eren bowed towards them.

"Eren! I haven't seen you in nearly three years! My, you've grown!" Lady Ackerman exclaimed with that motherly smile of hers. "I'm so happy that you will be the one to marry our son. If you were a girl, you would make the perfect bride."

Eren blushed under his mask, laughing it off a little.

"Ah, there's Mikato." Lady Ackerman beckoned her son to come over to them, Mikato walked over; wearing a silver button up shirt with a navy blue coat on top and black slacks with the same colored glossy boots and gloves. A red scarf wrapped around his neck, the one that he always wore since Eren had given it to him on the day he was rescued. Although Mikato's eyes were hidden behind the red and black mask he wore, Eren could tell that his eyes had softened when he smiled upon seeing Eren.

"Eren…. you look wonderful tonight."

"As do you, Mikato." It was true, Mikato was a handsome man. But his looks didn't change Eren's feelings towards him.

"Will you dance with me?" Mikato bowed slightly and held out his hand, looking into Eren's face. Eren graciously accepted and took his hand, walking onto the dance floor with him. A few people stared, very little commented. Most of it was positive, how Eren was a lucky man and it would be a wonderful thing to happen to the families. The rest seemed to have a bitter taste about it, not understanding why they had decided to go along with the same gender marriage even if the queen accepted it. Mikato looked down at Eren with a soft smile, his hand on his waist, the other holding the other boy's hand.

"I can't keep my eyes off of you… You look so.. beautiful tonight."

Eren turned his head to the side as a faint shade of red came to his face. "Beautiful is something you say to girls, Mikato."

"It's something you say to anyone who is of true beauty.. like you."

For the rest of the dance, Eren moved across the floor, still in Mikato's hold. When the song stopped, Mikato stepped back and bowed, holding Eren's hand in his.

"Would you excuse me for a moment, Mikato? I'm going to get us a drink-"

"I'll go get it for you. Enjoy yourself." Mikato smiled and excused himself. He truly was treating Eren like a young maiden, which he always had but it seemed to be even more endearing now that they were to be wed soon. Eren sighed, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes as if he were to drift into a sleep right there.

"_Ahem…_"

The moment he heard the sound near him, Eren opened his eyes. Standing right before him, was a prince.

No, it was not just any prince, It was Levi.

He was dressed in a grey shirt with a midnight blue coat covering him. Black slacks and shiny boots of the same color glinted in the faint light coming from the chandelier. His dark and silver mask covered most of his face, being able to see the small smile and his icy grey eyes. Levi leaned forward, extending out his arm.

"May I have this dance, brat?"

Eren stared back into Levi's eyes until he managed to smile warmly and place his hand in his. Levi led him to the dance floor where a new, gentle playing song began. Eren let Levi move his hand to his shoulder, the other held his hand. The shorter man's hold on Eren's waist was gentle and soft. The two glided across the dance floor and suddenly everything became a blur. No one mattered at the moment to Eren except for the man in front of him. At that moment, there was only content for them. As the song faded out, Levi closed his eyes and brought a sweet, gentle kiss to Eren's gloved hand.

"Y… you came after all.." Eren spoke in almost a whisper.

"I almost considered not showing up, but someone else-"

"Eren!"

Mikato pushed his way through the crowd, looking ready to pounce on anyone who dared to steal his partner away from him. The moment he saw Levi, however, made him pause in disbelief.

"Levi?"

"Mikato…" Levi let go of Eren's hand and faced the taller man.

"What are you doing here?" A shadow casted over Mikato's face, causing to Eren to wonder if the two held a grudge against each other.

"I was invited here. I see you've grown.."

"I see you're still a midget…."

"Um…" Eren interrupted, causing the two men to look at him. "You two know each other?"

"Eren…" Mikato stopped, looking as if he were about to regret something. "This is my _cousin_, Levi Ackerman….."


	3. A Rare Rose

**Notes: Hopefully you guys didn't wait too long for this chapter~ I'm loving the comments, even if this has a small audience, I'm glad that everyone is enjoying it so far. If you would like to perhaps make fan art of the fic or anything really, then by all means go ahead :D Share it with me on tumblr as #Gardenofinflorescence AU (but beware of the recent 4chan spam that's been going around on Tumblr). I would love to see any art or anything really. Don't forget to comment and share~ **

Eren loosened the sash around his white, warm bathrobe, letting the garment slip off his shoulders slowly as Armin sat on the edge of the bathtub, testing the water temperature with his hand.

"Hot enough, go ahead and step right in, Eren." Armin got up and removed the bathrobe and neatly folded it, placing it to the side.

Eren let out a sigh of relief as he stepped and settled into the steaming water. The tension from his muscle fatigue slowly wearing down until his body felt relaxed and glistened from the heat.

"I have to say Eren, I seriously thought Mikato was going to chop someone's head off tonight." Armin commented as he washed Eren's back with a soft sponge.

"Just chop off a head? Armin, I thought he was going to open up a portal to hell or summon out the devil himself." Eren huffed, leaning forward so Armin could scrub his back better.

"I told you it was a bad idea to invite Levi to the masked ball. You're lucky that your father didn't see the little scene back there. That is if he doesn't hear rumors from the guests at the party."

"It was worth it. My dad won't hear anything about it and if he does, I'll just deny the whole thing."

Armin shook his head, working his way onto Eren's shoulders and neck. "I'm telling you, you're playing with fire and you're going to get your fingers burned. Or even worse, you'll set yourself to a nice, burnt roast."

Eren rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'm sleeping with him or anything."

"How much do you want me to bet until you do?"

Armin's reply was met in the form of water being splashed on his face.

After the bath, (and a small water fight that required an extra forty minutes to clean up) Eren slipped into his fresh nightwear and plopped against his bed, burying his face into his pillow and hugged it tightly. His mind kept replaying the small "conversation" he had with Mikato and Levi.

_"This is my cousin, Levi Ackerman..."_

_"Wh... What?" Eren's mouth dropped open, his mind barely registering what had just been told to him. "C.. Cousin? B.. But how-?"_

_"We're not blood related." Levi quickly interrupted. "I was adopted by Mikato's uncle, Kenny Ackerman."_

Somewhat of a relief hit Eren. Though it didn't change the fact that they were related.

"_Of course you're not in anyway related to me. You're not worthy of carrying the Ackerman name…" Mikato glared down at Levi._

"_Like that uncle of yours?" Levi sassed back, not the slightest bit of intimated by Mikato's taunts. "If I recall, he's the reason why your family has trouble keeping up with their stocks just because your father rather carry the burden of family than leaving people to fend for themselves. "_

"_Don't forget, you yourself were scum of the slums. Such a filthy thing now obsessed with being spotlessly clean. Do you plan on leaving your filth on someone as pure and innocent as Eren?"_

"_I may be filth to you, but at least I'm not a worthless dumb boy." _

_Mikato's eyes narrowed dangerously as he placed his hand on the katana that always hung around his waist. "I'll end you right here, midget. So you may never come an inch towards __**my**__ Eren…"_

Eren stood between them, unsure how to stop the argument before it turned into something else. Mikato was very hot tempered, and if Eren didn't do something now, there would be a huge scene and it would most likely attract his father. People nearby were already staring and whispering, trying to keep a distance away from getting involved, but also staying close to watch.

Luckily, Armin came running through the small crowd that had formed around the trio and placed his hands on Mikato's broad shoulders.

"_Mikato! Your mother wants you to see Commander Dot Pixis! He wants to wish you and Eren the very best!"_

Mikato looked over at his mother on the other side of the room where she and her husband were laughing and drinking with the elderly commander of one of their armies. He removed his hand from his blade, still staring down harshly at Levi.

"_... This isn't over yet, midget… If I see you near Eren, I will not hesitate to slice your flesh and make you no taller than three feet."_

"_Hn… I'll keep that in mind when I show you that you're still a young boy who can easily be brought down lower than me." Levi crossed his arms, not so much as feeling threatened._

Mikato gave him one last dirty look before wrapping his arm around Eren's waist and dragging him away with Armin walking behind them. Eren turned his head around briefly, giving a look of apology to Levi as he was dragged away to the scent of faint alcohol and cheerful compliments.

Laying down on his bed, Eren started to consider if he should just stop seeing Levi and accept the fact that he was going to marry Mikato. He couldn't bear the thought of that at all. He sank his face deeper into his pillow, hearing the faint sound of paper crumpling underneath. Confused, Eren lifted his head up and removed the pillow. Underneath, was a neatly folded note and a vibrant colored flower. Eren carefully picked them up and opened the letter, revealing perfectly written cursive.

_Eren,_

_I'm sorry you had to witness that. I didn't know that you were with Mikato at the time. If you're not too angry, I'd like to meet you tomorrow morning around the same time as yesterday so I can just explain. I will be at the water fountain near the red tulips. I hope to see you there._

_Levi._

Eren's heart thumped in his chest. He remembered what Armin had said about playing with fire, but that didn't matter to him. He did want answers and he wanted to see Levi just as bad. Eren lifted his other hand up, holding the small flower in between his thumb and index finger. It was a piece of a blue hyacinth, meaning sincerity.

The next morning, Eren woke up early once again and this time left a note for Armin telling him where he was and not to find him. He made his way out of the mansion and into the garden where the tall, white fountain was. Levi was sitting down on the edge, his head hanging low and his shoulders slumped. He lifted his head when Eren had approached him, smiling small at him.

"I didn't think you'd actually show up."

"You came to the ball, why would I be rude and neglect your invitation?"

Levi snorted and scooted over for Eren to sit next to him. "Still a shitty brat."

Eren sat down and looked around at the tidy garden. "It really is beautiful… Maybe you should show me around sometime. It looks just like it did back when I was a child."

"I'll consider it." Levi looked up at the hazy, pale blue sky. "Eren… I wanted to explain. You must have been very confused when Mikato said… well, what he said."

"I was…. but I'm not angry." Eren turned to face Levi. "A little shocked and confused, yes- but I'm not angry."

"Glad to hear it." Levi inspected his fingernails, picking away any dirt that had formed while gardening. "Anyways… I'm sure you're anxious to hear a shit story, so here it is.

"I didn't really grow up in the best of conditions when I was younger. I can't say that I remember who my parents were either. When I was around the age of 5, I was taken in by Mikato's uncle. He was a troubled guy, sure- but he gave me a roof over my head, food to eat, and a place to sleep. It beat the hell out of eating from the trash and sleeping on the street. After a few years passed, the son of bitch started to talk crazy, telling me how we would no longer be living in the slums if we would steal from the Ackermans. I considered it, I've stolen before, just never from a family of nobles. Though in the end, I ran away from him because of his sudden abusiveness. I was taken in by another asshole who wasn't that bad, but still a pain. In fact, he's the guy who got me his job here a few years back."

Eren listened, intrigued by the way Levi spoke so calmly and coolly as if it were nothing. "How did you meet Mikato?"

"While I was living with Kenny, we would often go see other family members. He always visited Lord Ackerman the most since it was his brother and he always went to him whenever he was caught in a problem or something. While they discussed so called 'business'- more like 'I'm broke, so give me money because we're family', I was sent to play with Mikato. We got along for a while, but after he turned nine, he became a snotty brat. After that, we stopped seeing each other."

"I see…" Eren looked down at his hands. "Mikato's always been the temperamental and protective type. I think after what happened when he was nine, he just wanted to be strong again."

Levi was quiet before he looked over at the younger male. "You two have been friends since you were kids, huh?"

"Yeah… but now it's going to be something more. Something that I don't think I'm ready for."

"What's that?" 

Eren took a deep breath before he said it. "I'm engaged to him… and I didn't choose to be engaged, it was forced upon me just to save our business"

Both of them were silent, the sounds of birds and other creatures echoing throughout them.

"... I figured as much. Are you in love?"

"I…. don't know.. I'm really confused."

Levi leaned in close to Eren's ear and spoke in almost a whisper. "... Then I'll be fighting for your love…"

Eren blushed, turning his head around, his face only inches away from Levi's. The man chuckled, bringing his fingers up to lightly brush them against Eren's cheek.

"Your eyes… remind me of this one flower…" Levi pulled his hand back and stood up, extending his arm out for Eren to take. Eren smiled and accepted the gesture, following Levi down a flowery path until they reached an emerald green rose bush. The flowers were fully open, their petals dripping with water droplets from the morning rinse. They were a vibrant shade of green with a gradient honey color forming near the pollen of the flower. Such a lovely, rare sight made Eren gasp in delight as he reached to touch the flower, only to pull back and turn to Levi for his approval.

"Go ahead, brat.." Levi rolled his eyes, but there was a softer look to his face. Like an excited puppy, Eren grinned wide and carefully stroked his fingers through the flowers, feeling their soft, velvety texture.

"They're beautiful, Levi…. There are so many flowers that I've never seen or even heard of before. You have to show me around sometime. Pleaseeeee?" Eren looked up at Levi with those big green orbs of his. The sight was far too adorable for Levi.

"Oh alright you shitty brat. Honestly, why can't I say no to you?" Levi scoffed as he cursed the warmth that was forming in his chest. "You sure you won't get in trouble for seeing me?"

Eren knew he would be in a lot of trouble if his father found out, or worse- if Mikato found out. "Don't worry about it. It'll be our _secret_."

When Eren finally managed to say goodbye, (despite Levi wanting him to stay longer) he sneaked back into the mansion and opened the door to his room. Armin was calmly sitting on the bed, hands folded on his lap as he kicked his feet back and forth. He looked like a patient dog, waiting for his owner to come back.

"Armin! Did you get my note?" Eren stepped in and quietly closed the door behind him.

"Yes, I got your note." The blonde didn't move as much an inch from his spot. "I was just here… waiting. Since four in the morning. Patiently for you to come back. While I was waiting, I thought to myself: 'Oh gee, I hope Eren didn't run off with the crazy gardener man. Because if someone were to walk in here and see him gone with me in his place, surely Mikato wouldn't be too happy about it and neither would Lord Jaeger.' So now that you've wasted two hours away, and you're covered in sweat and dirt, I will be questioned about my worthiness of being your servant."

Eren sighed and sat down next to Armin. "I'm sorry Armin. I didn't want you to get in trouble. The thing is, Levi told me to meet him this morning so he can explain about last night."

"Uh huh, okay, sure. Just one thing."

"What is it?"

"How long can I consider you a virgin before you're not?"

"Oh Armin…" Eren rolled his eyes and let Armin get him dressed.

Eren calmly waited at his desk in the study hall until Hanji showed up with a smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, Eren! How was the ball?"

"It went okay…" _It could have gone better._ Eren thought to himself.

"So, did you meet Levi like he said?"

"Yeah I di- wait how did you know?" Eren's head shot up.

Hanji chuckled, pulling up a seat next to Eren. "I've known shorty for a long time. In fact, I happened to show up last night with Moblit to pick up a book I left last night, when he approached me and asked me to leave the little love note for you."

"H.. how did you manage to sneak into my room?"

Hanji laughed and scratched the back of her head. "Aha.. I have my ways… But that's not important right now! What's important is uniting you with your soul mate! Though I never expected your soul mate to be that shorty…."

"I already told you! He's not my soul mate! ...at least I don't know." Eren rested his head on crossed arms down on his desk.

"Well of course you don't know it yet! You need to spend more time with him."

"But I can't! I want to… but it's not easy. If I go in the morning, then I'll only get Armin in trouble because he's supposed to be tending to me in the morning and take me to eat breakfast. Maybe he's right, I should just let it all go and get on with my marriage to Mikato."

Hanji threw her seat across the room and got up in Eren's face, a dangerous expression formed on her own face. Eren shrank back in terror.

"Eren, no. No, no, just no. That cannot, will not happen at all. For as long as I live, I will see to it that you will see your lover!"

"L.. lover?! I haven't even slept with him-!"

"Well, we will make it happen!"

Hanji was truly losing it. Eren had to admit, he was just as desperate to see Levi.

"How am I going to see him? I can't see him in the morning."

"That's simple! We will use this class time as your chance to meet with Levi in private!" Hanji clapped her hands in approval.

"B.. but! I'm supposed to be learning during this hour!"

"Eren, would you rather learn about the human nervous system or spend time with your midget prince?"

The brunette bit his lip in anticipation. "What about Armin?"

"Don't worry! I will take care of blondie." Hanji winked.

"Okay, but just don't hurt him.. he's my friend too you know."

"Don't worry, I'll just talk sense into him!" Hanji snickered deviously.

What talking sense with Hanji meant to Eren, was obviously not going to be good.


End file.
